My Clear Life

Today's share couldn't be more perfect for the first week in our growth experiment. One word that escaped my vocabulary as I comtemplated what it means to grow is change (yeah, I know, kinda obvious). Growth and change go hand in hand - one defines the other in an intricate and beautiful relationship of give and take. 

We all love the idea of growth, but change - not so much. We get so comfortable where we are, we like the predictability of staying where we are. Our subconscious thinks,  "this may be uncomfortable, but at least I know this discomfort." Change is scary because we have no idea how that change is going to look and feel or if it will change other aspects of our life (note: it will). And so, even when a big change is coming that we desparately want, the fear settles in, and so does the self-sabatage.

But, what would happen if we allowed the fear to pass through us instead of holding onto to it? What would happen if we approached life like a surfer looking for the next big wave? That is the question Sydnee Stein addresses in her post Nothing is Wrong! Your Just Growing on The Change Blog. I really enjoyed her idea that we can approach life like a surfer trying to catch the next big wave. She reminded me of the sacred relationship between growth and change, and I am so grateful. I think you will be too if you check it out.

This month's word is Growth. Already I feel myself stretching in anticipation of what secrets will be revealed in April. Personal growth, to me means being aware of when I feel stretched and then leaning into the sweet and yet somewhat uncomfortable feeling. In some ways it is like having sore muscles after a good workout, a good kind of hurt, as I like to say. So in preparation for what opportunities will reveal themselves in April, I am warming up and stretching my mind. Who knows what possibilities lie before me? Who know what possibilities lie before you? This month I invite you to come along as I explore growth of mind, body and spirit.

Join me in my challenge to lean into of growth. Stretch yourself. Nourish the possibilities in your imagination. Plant a seed and give it permission to grow. Step out of your comfort zone and just see what happens. Join me on my journey this month, I dare you.

All of this talk about dissonance and discomfort and somehow becoming at ease with uneasiness made the post I am sharing very relevant this week. Maggie Lyon's post, Steps to Dissolving and Managing Anxiety,  shares some practical mind tools for calming yourself when the unwelcome squirminess of anxiety begins to creep in. Her steps are both practical and simple, things you can easily incorporate into your stressful day. Check it out, you might learn something ;-)

P.S. I'll give you a hint, pacing back and forth while biting your nails and having a coversation about worst case scenarios is not on the list.